


Carpool Love

by longlivefelicitythequeen



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, College AU, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Neighbors AU, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 11:25:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12189087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longlivefelicitythequeen/pseuds/longlivefelicitythequeen
Summary: When the Queen children moved to Mella Lane, the other kids on the block, including a young girl named Felicity, welcomed them. As the neighborhood children grew older, they branched apart, their friendships coming to an end...until Oliver and Felicity reconnect at Star City University. He offers her a ride, and she accepts.Or, the great love of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, as documented by their car trips.





	Carpool Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, this is an exercise piece of sorts I wrote to get myself back into the fic writing groove. 
> 
> I've been too busy to write anything worth posting, and I've been pressuring myself to update my Bratva fic. So I pushed that out of my mind, along with all the season 5 fics I want to do, and just wrote whatever came to mind. This is the product. 
> 
> It feels incredible to write again, and I know this was what I needed to get back to writing. Huge thank you to those who still comment on You Built Me From A Broken Heart even after months with no update. Those versions of Oliver and Felicity will be back soon, I promise. 
> 
> I apologize for my rustiness, but I do hope you enjoy this story. Happy reading xo
> 
> **WARNING**: There is a brief scene in this fic involving a car accident. Nothing graphic, but please be aware if this is something that bothers you. It happens during trip 326, and is briefly described in the beginning of trip 327, so feel free to skip these sections!

_Trip: 1_

_Destination: Mella Lane_  

~

Felicity’s eyes scan the parking lot as she waits, the fingers of her right hand running along the strap of the duffel bag digging into her shoulder.

She takes a deep breath, reminding herself that her apprehension is ridiculous. All she needs to do is carpool home from college with her neighbor. Simple and easy. Believe or not, he is doing her a favor. She doesn’t have a car on campus and Oliver offered. Felicity thinks his mother has something to do with it, but when she got his text earlier she didn't hesitate to accept.

Felicity grew up on a cul-de-sac at 16 Mella Lane in a quaint suburban town. She lived with her parents in a rather large home of which they took pride in maintaining. Before her dad left, he used to plant bright flowers and deep green shrubs in front of their home. Now, Donna pays a landscaping company to do it for them. Felicity developed her father’s affinity for technology, but not his green thumb.

There are a lot of kids around her age on their street, and they all grew up together. When Felicity was 11 years old, the Queens moved in next door.

She didn’t have a clue why. They were rich, that much was obvious, and Felicity was certain they could afford to purchase a home five times the size. Regardless, Moira and Robert Queen, with their children Oliver and Thea, moved to Mella Lane.

Oliver was the oldest on the block at 14 years old, but he often joined in on the neighborhood kids’ nighttime games of manhunt in the summer, and snowball fights in the winter.

He was nice, or at least she thinks he was. They never talked much, and the more the kids grew, the less they played together.

In the past few years, Felicity only saw him on rare occasions. One time the Queens had a Fourth of July barbecue, so Donna and Felicity walked into their backyard with a fresh baked apple pie. She remembers seeing Oliver from a distance helping Thea fix a broken, patriotic centerpiece, but that was it. He left after that for another party, his sister had said.

Besides that instance, and the handful of times she notices him as he comes and goes from his house, she barely sees him.

Now, Felicity is dreading the hour it takes to get from Star City University to home, because awkward small talk and prolonged silence is inevitable.

A honk blares through the parking lot, and several heads turn to find the source. Her eyes find Oliver’s as he gives her a friendly wave through his car windshield.

She shuffles over to the sleek, slate grey Mercedes-Benz. It’s impressive. Felicity doesn’t remember seeing it parked in his driveway, so it must be new.

After throwing her duffel bag on the black leather clad backseat, she slips into the passenger seat.

“Hey,” Oliver says in greeting, waiting for her to buckle her seatbelt before driving away.

She startles a bit at his presence. If he hadn’t waved at her, she never would have recognized him. He’s more fit than she remembers, muscular but still lean. His hair is no longer floppy (thank goodness) and stubble covers his chin and jaw. She clears her throat.

“Hi, thanks for taking me home. I feel bad asking my mom to pick me up since she’s always busy working, and I’m not a fan of public transportation.”

Oliver laughs, and Felicity can't help but notice the way his cheeks dimple when he does. He glances at her, and she averts her gaze to the road in front of her.

“It’s not a big deal. I mean, we go to the same college, and we live next door to each other. It makes sense we carpool.”

Felicity smiles and nods her head, but doesn’t respond. She pushes her glasses higher on her nose, a nervous habit she developed when she was a child. It feels weird to be in a car with him, so she gazes out the window, watching as they move farther away from the city.

Silence.

 

Silence.

 

Silence.

He must sense the awkwardness of sitting in a car with someone you barely know because after a few minutes he turns on the radio, fiddling with it until he settles on a Top 100 Hits station.

They don't speak to each other until he pulls into her driveway. She thanks him again, and he tells her he’ll pick her up sometime on Sunday.

“I’ll text you a time when I know, but I have a frat thing to do at night so it should be earlier rather than later,” he calls through the open window as she slings the heavy bag over her shoulder.

She thanks him again and says goodnight before walking up the cobblestone pathway to her house.

 ~

_Trip: 2_

_Destination: Star City University_

~

“This is your first year at SCU, right?”

They are about a half hour into the drive back when Oliver breaks the silence.

“Yeah, but I’m in the Master’s program,” she replies. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, so she clarifies, “I just turned 19, but I took a lot of college courses in high school and got my bachelors' degrees then. So now I’m going here for grad school.”

They stop at a red light and Oliver looks her over. He continues to study her for a moment before turning back to the road.

“Wow. My mom always talks about how intelligent you are, but I didn't know you are ‘skipping grades’ intelligent. No offense,” he adds.

The light turns green and Oliver speeds up as she smiles. “None taken.”

Then, because her curiosity is too great, she asks, “Your mom talks about me?”

Felicity doesn’t know Moira well, but the woman has only ever been kind to her. Still, imagining her name getting mentioned at the Queen’s dinner table is odd.

He shrugs and drops his right hand to rest on the gear stick. “I think she uses you as a role model of sorts for Thea.”

That’s...unexpected. Nice, but unexpected.

“How is your sister? She used to play with us all the time when we were younger.”

“Thea’s good. She started high school this past year and my parents are worried about her grades, which I guess is why my mom uses you as an example.” His fingers tap on the steering wheel to the beat of a pop song coming through the radio as he continues, “Her algebra class isn't going well, but the material is too complex for us to help her. She threw a fit when my parents suggested they hire a tutor.”

Felicity remembers Thea as a bright, energetic little girl. A frown sits on her face as she thinks of her struggling in school.

“I'm sure she's just embarrassed,” Felicity suggests. “I’m good at math, so let her know I’m here if she ever needs help.”

Oliver raises his eyebrows in surprise. “You would do that?”

She shrugs. “Why not? I’ve taken all kinds of math courses for my major, so I’m sure I can help with algebra.”

“Yeah, thank you. I’ll let her know.” He is a silent for a moment before he asks, “Are you a math major?”

“I’m getting my master’s in cybersecurity, but I have two bachelor’s degrees in math and computer science.”

Oliver whistles. “Sounds tough. ”

“It isn't easy. What about you?”

“Uh, marketing with a minor in finance. I’m a senior now, so once I graduate it’s off to get my MBA at grad school. SCU has an excellent grad program which you know already, so maybe I’ll stay there. After that I plan to become CEO at Queen Consolidated.”

Felicity is impressed. She was a freshman in highschool when he was a senior, and she remembers he was more known for his playboy attitude than he was for his grades. A major in business is tougher than most people think, and she commends him for sticking with it.

“That’s cool. How are your classes?”

“Fucking difficult,” Oliver laughs. “I have a huge exam in my Marketing Management class in a couple weeks, and I’m already studying for it.”

“It’s great you’re being proactive though.”

Felicity looks out her side window and her eyes widen when she sees the entrance to their school. That last half hour went by in a flash.

“Yeah, I’m planning to go home the weekend before, so I figured I should get the bulk of my studying done now.”

The window rolls down as Oliver stops at the security gate to show the guard his student ID. They get the all clear and drive through the opened gate towards her dorm building.

He continues, “Speaking of which, you’re more than welcome to hitch a ride with me then. I think that Friday is the 7th.”

Pulling into the small parking lot, he slows his speed until he crawls to a stop in front of a lit pathway leading to the building’s entrance.

He unlocks the doors as she replies, “I’ll take you up on that. It’s my mom’s birthday on the 8th so that’s perfect.”

“Cool, I’ll text you when I know a time. See you around?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

As Felicity rides the elevator up to her floor, she thinks about how easy it was to chat with him. The ride home was awkward, but the little they talked on the way back was nice.

Maybe this whole carpool deal won’t be so bad.

~

**Two Weeks Later**

_Trip: 3_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

Felicity sees Oliver everywhere now. She never paid much attention before, but ever since they carpooled together, she sees him all the time. In the dining halls, in the hallways, in the quad. He acknowledges her, which is strange but appreciated. He says hi if he passes by and strikes up conversation if he sees her waiting in the hall for her classes to start. The other night, Felicity’s roommate left dinner early to go to class, so Felicity sat alone in the cafeteria as she finished her chicken noodle soup. That is until Oliver plopped down across from her. They conversed about their classes as she ate her soup and he devoured a deli sandwich.

Now, as they sit in the car, the topic turns to their childhood as Oliver asks, “Do you know what happened to Miss Joanne from a few houses down? I haven’t seen her in a few years.”

Felicity nods. “Yeah, she moved to Florida with her husband. She was tired of the cold winters. She calls me sometimes to check in on the neighborhood though.”

“Oh man. We used to knock on her door and ask her for licorice, remember? She must have had ten kids begging for candy but she was always so patient with us.”

Felicity smiles as the fond memories of their old neighbor resurfaces.

“I’ll let her know you asked about her. She'll be thrilled.” Then, after a contemplative moment, she says, “That feels like forever ago, doesn’t it?”

Oliver looks over at her. “Yeah, it does. Things have changed since then. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a kid, you know?”

Felicity feels a peculiar heaviness settle in the car, so she nods her head and avoids his gaze, taking out her phone to thumb through her notifications. She clicks on a news app as Oliver clears his throat.

“You used to be a brunette,” he mumbles, and Felicity looks at him in surprise. She never expected him to remember what she used to look like. It was a strange comment to make, and from the look on Oliver’s face, he knows it.

“Are you saying I look bad as a blonde?” she teases as she pulls on her ponytail, trying to lighten the weird mood in the car.  

“What? No. You look amazing. I was just making an observation.”

A slow smile creeps on her face. She doesn’t know what possesses her, but a second later she asks,  “You think I look amazing?”

Oliver shifts in his seat and puts his blinker on to change lanes as he responds, “Yeah, I do. You’re just...different from what I remember though.”

“In a good way?”

“In a very good way.”

Felicity bites her lip and rests her head against the window so he won’t see the pink blush on her cheeks.

 ~

_Trip: 4_

_Destination: Star City University_

 ~

As soon as Felicity buckles her seatbelt, a plate of warm cookies lands on her lap. Her hands grasp the plate in surprise, and her mouth waters as the scent hits her nostrils.

“Oh my god, these smell amazing! Did your mom make them?”

Oliver backs out of her driveway before addressing her, “Yeah, it’s her way of saying thank you. Thea brought home an algebra exam on Friday. She got a B+ and confessed you helped her.”

“I’m glad she told you. I hate keeping secrets but when she called last week for help, she begged me not to tell anyone.”

Felicity had felt weird not telling Oliver she was helping his sister. Every time he said hello or sat with her at dinner or spoke to her in the hallway, her brain would nag at her to confess the truth. It had felt like she was going behind his back, and even though they were barely friends, it still felt wrong.

Oliver brakes at a stop sign and turns to her, his piercing blue eyes boring into hers. “Felicity, thank you. My parents are pleased, and Thea seems happier. I have no idea what I can ever do to thank you.”

A car behind them honks, and Oliver presses on the gas, putting his hand up to apologize to the driver behind him.

Felicity waves his gratitude off. “Thea’s a smart kid. She knows what she’s doing, but she gets confused sometimes. I didn’t have to do much.”

The chocolate chip cookies are begging for her to eat them, so she picks one up and moans as she bites into it. They’re still warm, and the chocolate chips are soft but not melted. Perfect.

She resists the urge to lick her fingers when she finishes it, but clasps her hands together instead, causing a loud clapping noise to echo off the car's walls.

“Okay, now it’s time to help another Queen pass their exam. Index cards?” she asks, and he points behind them to the backseat.

“They’re in the front zipper compartment of my backpack,” he instructs as he moves the cookies to his lap so she can twist around.

“Thank you for doing this,” he adds, returning the plate to her lap when she sits back down.

"It’s no problem. Okay, for every question you get right, you get a bite of cookie, got it?”

“My mom made those cookies for you, Felicity.”

Felicity never allowed herself to acknowledge it before, but she likes hearing her name coming from his lips. The revelation stuns her, so she shuffles the cards in her hands to give herself a moment.

Once her mind is clear, she says, “There are ton of cookies here, Oliver. Don’t be silly. Besides, I’m not about to torture you by making you sit here smelling these for an hour.”

Oliver laughs and throws his hands up in surrender before they return to the steering wheel.

“Okay, first question,” Felicity says as she shuffles the index cards one last time in her hands. “A concept based on the development, design, and implementation of marketing programs, processes, and activities that recognizes their breadth and interdependencies is called…?”

Oliver scrunches his nose in concentration. The gesture is adorable, and Felicity looks away before she says something stupid. After some hesitation, he answers, “Holistic Marketing?”

“Correct!”

She grabs a cookie and brings it to his eager mouth. His bottom lip grazes her thumb as he bites, sending a shock of electricity up her arm. She pulls away, placing the half-eaten cookie on the plate.

The muscles in his jaw flex as he chews, and Felicity can’t help but stare as he enjoys his reward.

When he finishes, Oliver smacks his lips. “Mmm, delicious. Next question?”

Felicity startles and turns back to the study cards. “Right, sorry. The shared experiences, stories, beliefs, and norms that characterize an organization is…?”

“Uh, does it have segmentation in it?”

“Nope. I’ll give you a hint. It’s an alliteration.”

After a couple minutes, he still can’t get it, and Felicity can tell he is angry at his inability to think of the term.

“The answer is Corporate Culture.”

Oliver clenches his jaw and hits the steering wheel in frustration. “Shit! I thought I knew that one.”

Without thinking, she places her hand on his tense arm. He feels warmer and softer than Felicity expected. His muscles roll under her fingers as she marvels at how tiny her hand looks on his bicep.

“It’s fine, Oliver. There are a lot of difficult terms here. You’ll get it soon.”

She pats his arm before pulling away.

“Yeah, but that was an easy one. I’m never gonna pass this fucking exam.”

“Your test is on Thursday, right?” She waits for his nod to continue, “So why don’t we meet at the library a couple times before then to go over the material? I don’t know how much I can help with the actual concepts but I can quiz you and keep you on track.”

He peeks at her before returning his eyes to the road. His hand reaches over to touch her arm.  

“You’re kinda great, you know?”

Felicity’s heart swells when his hand squeezes her arm.

“First I’m amazing, and now I’m great? I’m flattered.”

Oliver chuckles before removing his hand and straightening his shoulders. "I want another bite of a cookie. Hit me with a question.”

“I knew that was a good motivation tactic,” she laughs. “Okay, let’s see…”

Felicity quizzes him the entire ride until they reach her dorm. They make a plan to meet in the library the next afternoon.

She steps out of the car, empty plate in hand. With a small wave, Felicity heads up the path, but turns around after walking a couple steps.

“Hey, Oliver?”

She doesn't expect him to be looking at her as if he watched her walk away from him. The thought makes her stomach flip.

He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Um, you’re amazing, too. Different from how you used to be, but amazing.”

“In a good way?”

“In a very good way.”

~

_Trip: 10_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

When Felicity yawns for the twelfth time in 10 minutes, she hears Oliver stifle a laugh.

“Didn’t get much sleep last night, huh?”

She groans and slaps his arm before adjusting her sunglasses. The sun is too damn bright right now.

“It’s all your fault and you know it.”

It feels like giants are dancing around in her head. She rubs at her temples, and Oliver shuts the radio off. She moans in relief.

“Hey, all I did was invite you to my fraternity’s open party. You didn’t have to take part in every drinking game they played.”

She sighs, “We crushed it at beer pong, though.”

They are full-fledged friends now, not just neighbors. Maybe more than friends? Felicity isn’t sure about that one yet.  

Last night she had received a text from Oliver begging her to come to his frat house for a party, claiming he felt lonely without her presence. Felicity had been studying for a while when he asked, so she took a break and went. It was fun, and she enjoyed Oliver's subtle appreciation of her favorite jeans hugging her curves, but she drank way too much.

“Hell yeah we did,” Oliver says with pride. “We’re the reigning champs.”

Then, softer, he adds, “Did you take those pills I put on your bedside table?”

“First thing this morning. Thanks for making sure I got back safe last night.”

“No problem. Your roommate was giving me the stink eye the entire time.”

Felicity giggles at that and then groans, “Don’t make me laugh. And my roommate's protective, but she knows you won’t hurt me.”

She lets her head fall back against the seat, turning to face him as she tries to avoid the glaring sun. Felicity Smoak will never touch alcohol ever again.

“I hope it’s okay I didn’t stay,” Oliver says, his voice timid. “I kept an eye on you until you fell asleep, but your roommate said she could handle it if something happened...”

“You could have,” she interrupts. “Stayed, I mean.”

He turns to her with a small smile. “Good to know.”

 ~

_Trip: 11_

_Destination: Star City University_

 ~

“Hey, how was your weekend?” Oliver asks when Felicity gets in.

She refuses to meet his eye as she buckles in. As soon as she does, she’ll break down, and she doesn’t want to do that yet.

“It was fine,” she replies, her curt tone sounds cold even to her own ears.

She knows he can sense something is wrong, but he says nothing. It is awkward and silent, reminiscent of their first ride together.

“Thea says hi,” he says, trying to start conversation.

“I’ll text her later.”

Silence.

 

Silence.

 

Silence.

The radio goes on.

After forty-five minutes of driving, Oliver groans in frustration.

“Did I do something? Let me fix whatever it is I did. I can’t stand you being mad at me like this.”

“I’m not mad at you,” she whispers, eyes focused on her hands that lay clenched in her lap. Her lip trembles as she tries to hold the emotion in.

Oliver sighs and shifts gears before taking a quick peek in her direction. “Felicity, you can talk to me. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m here for you. You can trust m-”

“My dad died last week,” she reveals, her eyes watering with tears.

Saying the words aloud is difficult and she doesn’t want to bring him down, but Felicity realizes she needs his comfort. She hunches over, crying into her hands, the strained seatbelt cutting into her shoulder.

“Oh my god, Felicity…”

His warm palm lands on her back to rub soothing circles along her spine.

She watches him pull the car over, shifting into park. He unbuckles her seatbelt with gentle hands.

“Come here,” he murmurs, pulling her into his embrace.

She burrows her face in his neck as her arms wrap around him. She takes a deep breath, inhaling his comforting scent while he rubs her back and rocks her. Crying into him, she barely notices him pressing kisses to the side of her head.

He surrounds her, and it isn’t scary or weird. It’s warm and soft, and she feels safe and protected.

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you, Felicity,” he whispers in her ear.

She sniffles as she responds, “It sucks because we didn’t even know. His mother called us this morning but the heart attack happened on Monday. My father’s been dead a week and I didn’t even know.”

Felicity pulls away from him in anger. His hand lands on her shoulder, his thumb tracing patterns on her neck as she yells, “And that’s another thing. He left us. On my thirteenth birthday, we made plans to go to this water park I had been dying to go to.”

Oliver looks sad as he wipes at the tears that fall from her eyes. She continues to speak even as his gentle hands brush over her cheeks and under her glasses.

“My dad never showed up and we thought maybe he got held up at work until we got home. He left us a note saying he was leaving. He had the nerve to wish me a happy birthday. Despite all of that, my heart still hurts. I think a part of me was waiting for him to come back to us.” She looks away in shame and laughs. “I’m so pathetic.”

“Felicity, please look at me,” he instructs, his voice soft and gentle. When she meets his concerned eyes, he says, “You are not pathetic, okay? Never. What you’re going through...I can’t even imagine what it must feel like, but it isn’t your fault.”

She opens her mouth to deny the accusation but he shushes her.

“Give me some credit. I’ve gotten to know you pretty well the past few months, Felicity, and I know how that beautiful mind of yours works. You’re blaming yourself, but listen. It is not your fault. You can feel however you want to right now. Happy, sad, whatever. But you cannot feel guilty, alright?”

His eyes search hers until she takes a deep breath and nods. She wipes her tears on her shirt sleeve and takes a sip of water from the bottle she brought with her.

Feeling much calmer, Felicity secures her seatbelt and grabs a tissue from the side door compartment to blow her nose.

Oliver shifts the car and gets back on the road before placing his hand on her lower thigh, just above her knee.  

“Thank you,” she whispers, placing her hand over his before squeezing it twice.

“You never have to thank me.”

The sentence hangs in the air until he puts his turn signal on. He nods at an approaching diner.

“How about we stop for some comfort food? My treat.”

Felicity agrees, and by the time they eat and get back in the car to finish up the drive, she feels brand new.

Not even a minute after getting back on the road, Oliver’s hand returns to her thigh.

 ~

_Trip: 13_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

 **FELICITY:** I’m not feeling well. I know you weren’t planning on leaving this weekend, but can you please take me home?

 **OLIVER:** Yes. U ok?

 **FELICITY** : No. I feel dizzy and gross.

 **OLIVER:** Lemme pack a bag for the weekend and then ill get u. Don’t meet me in the parking lot. I’ll come 2 ur room and help u down.

 **FELICITY:** Thanks.

 **OLIVER:** Keep texting me so I know ur ok.

 **FELICITY:** I’m too tired. Hurts to type.

 **OLIVER:** Fuck it, I’m not wasting time 2 pack. On my way to u now.

 **FELICITY:** Hurry please.

A few minutes later, Felicity hears a knock on the door and her roommate's voice as she greets whoever is on the other side. She knows it’s Oliver, but she feels too heavy to move so she stays buried under the mountain of blankets.

Heavy footsteps grow louder until they stop altogether. Familiar fingers brush over her forehead and her eyes flutter open to see Oliver standing over her with a frown.

“Shit, Felicity. You’re burning up.”

“Cold,” she mutters, her eyes closing again. “Everything hurts.”

Oliver sits on the edge of her bed and brushes the hair out of her face. A moan escapes her lips when he massages her scalp.  

“I know, I know. It'll be okay. Let’s get you home.”

She feels herself being shifted, and then it’s like she is floating through the air. Oliver tucks the blanket up around her chin before she feels him walk. She doesn’t even care if people see her in their journey from her room to the car. Felicity just wants to go home.

She must drift to sleep because when she opens her eyes, Oliver is setting her in the passenger seat. He reclines the seat as much as possible before pulling the seatbelt around her.

A soft kiss lands on her forehead before the door shuts.

Her teeth chatter as she watches Oliver get in and turn the car on, pointing all the heating vents at her.

With a worried look cast her way, he pulls out of the parking lot.

A couple minutes later, when she feels Oliver’s gaze flicker to her for the umpteenth time, she reaches out and takes her hand in his.

She falls asleep facing him, bundled up in three blankets with her face pressed against their entwined hands.

 ~

_Trip: 14_

_Destination: Star City University_

_~_

“You scared me this weekend.”

Felicity sighs and plays with the strings of her hoodie with one hand while the other rests in his.

“I know. I’m sorry,” she admits, running her thumb along his.

“It’s not your fault. It was just...scary. I’ve never seen someone so sick before.”

“Hey,” she squeezes his hand. “I told you, the doctor said it was just the flu. I had eaten nothing all day which is why I felt so weak.”

When Oliver helped her out of the car and into her house, she may or may not have fainted in his arms. It has been a couple days since and if how often he mentions it is any indication, he is still traumatized by it.

He refused to leave her side all weekend and ended up sleeping on her floor. Felicity knows a phone call from her mother will happen soon. Donna Smoak enjoys badgering Felicity for details regarding her love life.

Wait, she doesn’t mean that. Oliver is not a detail of her love life. They’re friends...who hold hands...and care for each other a lot. But that’s normal, right?

“I’m glad you’re feeling better now. I could have skipped my Monday morning class if you wanted to stay home an extra day.”

Felicity wipes her nose with a tissue before responding, “It’s sweet of you to offer, but you know it’s finals week so we have to go to every class.”

When they make it to her dorm an hour later, Felicity leans over the center console to place a soft kiss on Oliver’s forehead, and then another on his cheek before pulling away.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

Oliver tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and brings their entwined hands to his lips. He drags them along her knuckles before kissing the center of her hand.

“You’re welcome.”

 ~

_Trip: 15_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

“It’s winter break time!” Felicity squeals when she hops in the car a week later.

Oliver laughs and joins in with her celebration, letting out a “woop!” before grabbing her hand and driving off.

“You and your mom are still coming over for a holiday dinner, right?”

“Yes! But we already told your mom we have no problem celebrating Christmas with you guys. You don’t have to include Hanukkah.”

Oliver shakes his head. “No way. We want to make you guys feel included. So, holiday dinner it is.”

Felicity does a little happy dance in her seat. “I’m so excited! We haven’t had a good holiday celebration in a while. Please tell me your mom is making her famous mac and cheese!”

“She is. You loved it so much when she made it the last time.”

She moans, “I cannot wait. We’re still going to Queen Consolidated’s New Year’s Eve party, right?”

“Yeah. My parent’s company is going all out this year. And we’re going with you guys to see that musical in the city the day after I think.”

Past winter breaks, all Felicity did was watch movies with her mom and catch up with a few friends she went to highschool with. Now, she gets to spend it with her mom, and Oliver, _and_ his incredible family.

She can’t wait.

 ~

_Trip: 16_

_Destination: Nowhere_

 ~

Oliver and Felicity sneak away from the New Year’s Eve party in Queen Consolidated’s Star City branch. They had wined and dined with the city’s finest tonight, but they are desperate to get away.

She giggles when Oliver opens the door for her and she climbs in, her hands pulling her short gold dress down.

They’ve had champagne, so they aren’t driving anywhere, but they wanted to get away from the crowd.

“What time is it?”

Oliver checks his watch. “Five minutes ‘til midnight.”

He turns the car on so they can have heat, and he searches the radio stations until he finds a live New Years Eve countdown.

Felicity studies Oliver as he fiddles around with the air vents. He looks good, but he always does. He is wearing a tux with a gold bow tie that matches her dress. It was one of her Christmas gifts to him, and it was the perfect way for her to ask if they could go to the party together.

Oliver splays his hand over her lap with his palm open in invitation. She chuckles but accepts, placing her hand in his. Her other hand traces along his fingers and knuckles in repetitive motions.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, and she can barely hear him over the man’s voice on the radio.

“Oh, thank you,” she shifts in her seat, feeling his intense eyes on her. “It’s the dress, I think.”

“Trust me, it’s not the dress.”

Felicity smiles at him then. “Thank you. You look very handsome tonight.”

Alarms sound over the radio then, and the man's voice echoes throughout the car. 

_“Get ready, folks! The countdown begins in less than a minute!”_

Oliver turns to her, releasing her hand to cup her face.

“Felicity...I’d like it if you let me kiss you tonight.”

A gasp escapes her mouth as she stares up at him in shock. They never cross the invisible barrier between them. Ever.

“You want to kiss me?”

_“Here we go! 10...9...”_

He tugs on one of her blonde curls before letting it bounce back to its original shape. “You know I do, Felicity. You can’t deny we’ve been tiptoeing around this since the beginning. So yes, I’d like to kiss you...in about 5 seconds.”

Felicity sees nothing but genuine interest in his eyes, and she knows the feelings reflect her own.

“Felicity…”

_“4 …3...”_

This will change everything, and what if it ruins their friendship? On second thought, it feels like they're already in a relationship, so this is the logical next step. Right?

_“2…”_

God, Felicity wants to kiss him.

_“...1! Happy New Year!”_

Instead of giving Oliver a verbal answer, Felicity flings herself towards him. Oliver releases a surprised yelp but she swallows the sound with her lips. He takes a minute to catch on, but when he does, he hauls her closer. The kiss is fast and sloppy and their noses keep bumping into each other but Felicity doesn’t care. It is perfect. _They_ are perfect.

He tilts her chin to deepen the kiss, his tongue slipping past her lips to caress hers. Satisfied noises escape Felicity’s throat when he pulls away and nips a path down her neck. Heavy pants echo around them as they catch their breaths before she tugs on his hair and reconnects their lips.

The kiss slows, Oliver nipping at her bottom lip before releasing her.

Felicity’s eyes flutter open, and through heavy lids, she grins up at him.

“Happy New Year, Oliver.”

He kisses the tip of her nose before mirroring her smile. “Happy New Year, Felicity.”

 ~

**Two Weeks Later**

_Trip: 16_

_Destination: Star City University_

 ~

Felicity throws her suitcase in the back of the car before settling in next to Oliver in the car. Winter break is over, and while that used to make her sad, today she is excited to return to school. She had an incredible few weeks with Oliver, but it's time to go back.

Speaking of, Oliver isn’t even looking in her direction. He doesn’t greet her, but he waits for her to buckle up before pulling out.

“No kiss?” Felicity pouts. She has enjoyed Oliver’s physical affection the past couple weeks. The man knows how to use his mouth.

He grasps the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turn white. Oh boy, someone’s angry.

“Are you sure you even want to kiss me?” Oliver sneers at her.

Felicity’s mouth drops open in shock. She crosses her arms as she questions, “Where the hell did that come from?”

He looks at her then, and she sees the anger and sadness there.

“I overheard what you said to Thea last night.” He must sense how clueless she is because he clarifies, “She asked you for relationship advice and when you gave it to her, you mentioned how you were single and hadn’t met anyone special yet.”

“I cannot believe you!” he shouts at her a moment later.

Her stomach drops. He has never yelled at her before, and it makes her feel like crap. Even worse, the hurt gleam in his eyes kills her.

“Oliver, calm down,” she says. “You misinterpreted the entire thing.”

“Fine, then explain it, Felicity.”

She tries not to roll her eyes as she gets frustrated with his attitude.

“When she asked me for advice, I knew she was sniffing out if we’re together. Come on, Oliver, you know Thea. She was fishing for information, and since we've told no one about us yet, I wanted to throw her off our trail.”

Oliver huffs a sardonic laugh and spits, “Yeah and who’s fault is it that we've told no one?”

That did it. Anger floods through her veins at his tone. This is so unlike the Oliver she knows, and if this is how he acts, Felicity won’t put up with it.

Her voice raises as she yells, “I told you we should give each other more time to adjust to our relationship before we bring our families into it! You agreed with me!”

“Well, I don’t want to agree!” he roars.

“And why the hell not!?”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! AND I WANT TO SHOUT IT FROM THE FUCKING ROOFTOPS BUT YOU WON’T LET ME!” he shouts at her before banging his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.

Felicity sucks in a breath as his words wash over her, and she tries to make sense of the situation. He wants to be with her, he loves her, and he wants everyone to know.

“Oliver, pull over. Now,” she demands in a low voice.

He flicks his hazard lights on and moves over until they’re sitting on the shoulder. Despite the anger, his concerned gaze trails over her.  

Taking a deep breath, Felicity unbuckles and pulls him into a hug. Relief flows through her when he doesn’t fight her on it. He rests in her arms, his warm breath tickling her neck as his fingers grasp her shirt.

She runs her hands through his hair in soothing patterns, giving them both time to calm down.

“I love you,” she whispers in his ear. He pulls back, presumably to look at her, but she tightens her hold on him. “I love you, and I’m upset you doubted that, but you could have told me. If you didn’t want to keep us a secret, you should have said something. I don’t like seeing you so angry, especially when it’s directed at me. I love you though. God, I don’t think I can stop saying it now.”

He squeezes her tight and nods his head into her shoulder. She releases him and grabs his face between her two hands, staring into his regretful eyes.

“I love you, I love you, I love you, but please don’t yell at me like that again. Let’s move on and learn from this, okay?”

The muscles in his throat shift as he swallows. “You’re right, I overreacted. I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose you, and things have been great the past couple of weeks but now we’re going back. It has me on edge, and I’m sorry.”

She understands his concern, and appreciates his apology.

“If I forgive you, will you _finally_ kiss me?” Felicity teases.

Oliver laughs. “If you forgive me, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

She leans in until their lips just barely brush each other. “Famous last words, Queen,” she whispers before her lips claim his in a searing kiss.

For the first time, Oliver doesn’t battle her for dominance over the kiss. She takes control, tilting his head back so she can glide her tongue against his lips. She slides into his mouth and explores his textured tongue before running hers along his teeth.

A truck’s blaring horn startles them, and Felicity pulls back with a laugh.

“Guess that’s their way of saying we should get back on the road,” Oliver says with amusement before placing a small peck on her lips. “I love you, Felicity Smoak.”

“And I love you, Oliver Queen.”

He guides the car back onto the freeway. Felicity delights in what he does next, and in her opinion, it’s what he should have done as soon as they drove away from Mella Lane.

Oliver reaches over to hold her hand.

 ~

**One Month Later**

_Trip: 22_

_Destination: Mella Lane... eventually_

 ~

As soon as Felicity gets to his car, she drops her bag in the trunk and opens the driver's side door. Oliver looks up in surprise, but she pulls on his arm until he gets the hint and steps out.

With a wicked grin, Felicity checks that nobody is watching before pushing her boyfriend onto the backseat.

He falls back against the leather with an exaggerated “oomph!” but she doesn’t let him recover. In an instant, she straddles his hips and pulls his head towards hers.

A groan escapes his throat when her lips smash into his for a messy kiss, her teeth pulling at his bottom lip.

“Not that I don’t love this,” Oliver mumbles against her lips. “But-”

Felicity releases his lips. “I’m tired of waiting. I want to have sex with you. Now, please.”

The past month was full of intense kisses and erotic touches, but never sex. Oliver wanted to make sure she was certain before they took that step.

With a frustrated groan, Felicity rips his shirt over his head before flattening her palms over his bare chest. Her fingers trace the quivering edges of his muscles as they tense and coil under her touch.

He grows harder and harder beneath her. Felicity grinds into his lap where she feels him pressing into her. Oliver tilts her head up so he can lick and nip along the column of her neck, his hands on her back pushing her closer to him.

Unable to see, she fumbles between them until she finds his jean zipper. His hands stop her before she can pull it down.  

“Wait, wait. I don’t want our first time together to be in my car. You deserve better than that.”

Felicity rolls her eyes and caresses his cheeks with her fingers.  “Oliver, please. We have so many memories in this car. What’s one more?”

With that, she pulls her SCU sweatshirt over her head, revealing her bare chest to him. After some hesitation, he cups her breasts like it’s the first time, his touch firm but gentle.

Oliver drinks in her bare skin, his eyes roaming over her features. She knows he is searching for any signs of apprehension, but there are none.

“Are you sure?”

Felicity reaches into the pocket of her sweatshirt where it lays next to them and pulls out a condom. He quirks an eyebrow at her, but seems more amused than shocked that she planned ahead.

She smirks. “I’m sure, Oliver.”

“Okay,” he whispers into her mouth, kissing her twice before dipping his head to take a nipple into his mouth. He toys the other with his fingers, running the pad of his thumb over the stiff peak at the same time his tongue caresses the other.

Felicity gasps and arches her back, fingers fisting in his hair. Oliver groans at her reaction, telling her without words just how much he enjoys doing this to her. She knows from experience she will have beard burn on her chest when he finishes but the thought only sends a wave of arousal through her.

“Oliver, please. I need you,” she whimpers, and he pulls away from her chest with a wet pop.

He lowers her head down to his to capture her lips. “God, you taste so good.” He tugs on the waistband of her sweatpants. “Take these off.”

Felicity scoots off him and removes her hair tie, letting her blonde hair fall around her shoulders. After a minute of struggle, she drags her underwear down with her pants. A blush warms her face as Oliver watches her, but she reminds herself he has seen her naked already. He doesn’t let her feel embarrassed, tugging her back to straddle his hips.  

“You’re beautiful.”

She kisses him in gratitude and pulls on his zipper until she can pull his cock out. Felicity licks her lips as her eyes take him in. She already knows the feel of his hot, pulsing skin in her hand, and its saltiness on her tongue.

This feels more important compared to their past explorations. Oliver bites at the fleshy underside of her breast, and when his cock jumps between them, she spreads his precum and pumps him.

Oliver fumbles for the condom, his eyes on her until he finds it and rips it open.

Her hand leaves him, eliciting a whine from him. After he sheathes his cock, they stare at each other in silence.

He pushes her hair behind her ears. “I love you, and that won’t change. If at any point you want to stop, you have to tell me.”

“Oliver,” she whispers. “Make love to me and then take me home.”

A soft smile graces his lips, and she lifts herself up to align her body with his. This isn’t her first time having sex, but it has been awhile, so she takes her time. She feels him at her entrance, and she takes a deep breath before lowering herself down.

Oliver groans and grabs her hips, but he doesn’t push her. Felicity's mouth parts as she drops inch by inch until he is snuginside her, their noses brushing each other. They sit like that for a moment, focused on nothing but their connection as they sip from each other’s lips.  

After her body adjusts, Felicity lifts her hips and goes back down. She continues the slow pace, up and down, up and down. At one point, she takes him in at a slight angle, and his cock hits a spot inside her that makes her see stars.

“You feel incredible,” she confesses, her voice hitching at the end when Oliver swivels his hips.

Oliver grunts in what Felicity assumes is agreement.

With encouragement from his hands, she picks up the pace; her breasts slapping against her as she does. Their moans, and the distinct sound of skin hitting skin, fill the otherwise silent car.

“Oh fuck, Felicity…” Oliver rasps, bringing a hand between them to play with her clit. “I’m gonna come. Felicity, please.”

He flicks and rubs her with intensity until Felicity screams his name as she falls over the edge, her body hunching as her abdominal muscles spasm. Oliver pumps into her two more times before he follows her, a long grunt escaping his lips.

They pant heavily, Felicity’s head dropping to rest against his shoulder before she lifts off him and collapses by his side.

“You okay?” He asks between labored breaths.

She can barely move, so just nods and hopes he sees her. The harsh sound of his zipper hits her ears, and she feels the softness of her sweatshirt as he pulls it over head. She lifts her hips when he helps put her underwear and sweatpants back on.

A few minutes later, Felicity is in the passenger seat and Oliver is at the wheel.

Hand in hand.

 ~

_Trip: 325_

_Destination: Star City University_

 ~

Oliver kisses along her hand, his eyes glued to the open road in front of him.

“I am so goddamn proud of you,” he says into her skin.

She giggles and adjusts her black cap. In a few hours, she will be an official graduate of Star City University’s Cybersecurity Master's Program.

“It’s been a stressful two years,” she says. “So thank you for sticking by my side.”

“There is no place I’d rather be,” he responds, kissing her wrist twice.

Twenty minutes later, they pull into a spot in the crowded parking lot. Students donned with caps and gowns litter the area as they take pictures with family members and find their friends.

Felicity laughs at Oliver’s pouting face when she releases his hand to flip down the vanity mirror. She reapplies her dark pink lipstick and smacks her lips.

“Did you remember to pack the bobby pins? I need to secure my hat.”

“Glove compartment,” he responds, pointing to the dashboard across from her.

Felicity pulls on the handle to open it and sees the bag of bobby pins sitting right up front. She grabs them, but stops short when sees what's behind it.

“Oh my god, Oliver.”

“What?” He asks with a not so innocent smile on his face.

Felicity drops the bag on the floor and pulls the sparkling diamond ring out, cradling it between her fingers.

“Are you proposing?”

Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

“Yes,” he says, as if reading her mind. He plucks the ring from her fingers and holds it out in front of him.

“I love you beyond words, and cannot imagine my life without you. You challenge and complete me. Felicity Megan Smoak, you were my neighbor, then you were my friend, now you are my girlfriend, and I’m begging for you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

Tears splash against her cheeks as Felicity squeals, “Yes, yes! I love you. I’ll marry you.”

Lips press against hers, but he pulls away before she can lose herself in his touch. He slides the ring on her finger.

It’s a perfect fit.

 ~

_Trip: 326_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

The rain is unforgiving as it hits the windshield.

“I wonder how crazy our moms decorated your house,” Felicity asks, her head on his shoulder.

Moira and Donna have been planning Felicity’s graduation party for over a month now. Thea had told her they hired street performers and live animals, but she is almost certain she was joking. 

“They went all out, I’m sure. It’s graduation; you deserve a big party.”

“I just know my mom will stop to buy ‘happy engagement’ balloons before she heads home. I will never forget her face when she saw the ring.”

Felicity puts her hand out in front of her and sighs as she looks at the round center stone nestled between clusters of smaller diamonds. It’s a beautiful piece of jewelry.

“Speaking of our future, you know that loft we saw in Star City that we loved? On Archer Road?”

She nods. They are beyond ready to get out of their childhood homes and find a place together. They found this amazing loft near the downtown area with rustic brick walls and a gorgeous balcony overlooking the city, but it is a desirable property. The chances of them ever getting it are slim.

“I was thinking we should put an offer in.”

“Really!?” Felicity gasps, clapping her hands together in excitement.

He shrugs. “It makes sense. You’ll be starting at QC soon, and now that I’m shadowing Walter to pick up the CEO position after I complete my MBA, I think we should lie down some roots. And the loft is less than twenty minutes away from SCU so I can finish up grad school while living there with you.”

“It sounds perfect.”

“I’ll call our realtor tomorr-”

“OLIVER, LOOK OUT!”

Screeching brakes. Crunching metal. Shattering glass. Burning rubber.

Silence.

 

Silence.

 

Silence. 

 ~

_Trip: N/A_

_Destination: Cemetery_

 ~

Oliver’s hand feels cold. 

Silence.

 

Silence.

 

Silence.

The passenger seat remains empty.

 ~

_Trip: 327_

_Destination: Mella Lane_

 ~

Oliver maneuvers the Mercedes down the highway, his left hand resting at the base of the steering wheel. The vehicle, and the memories that come with it, are still intact after the accident.

The car that hit them, a bright blue vintage Ford Thunderbird, had been irreparable. It had been pouring rain, and the elderly man driving couldn’t see well. He slammed on the brakes too late and hit right into the passenger side door.

Right into Felicity.

It should have been the day she celebrated her graduation and engagement with her family and friends. Instead, an ambulance rushed her to the hospital with a bone sticking out of her leg and Oliver’s worried voice in her ear.

“You brought the flowers to her grave, right?” Felicity asks, lacing her fingers between his.

He brings her hand to his mouth to kiss the knuckle above her engagement ring before letting their hands rest between them.

“A bouquet of lilies from her husband, and a bouquet of sunflowers from us. I still can’t believe you became friends with the man who hit us. It’s remarkable,” Oliver comments.

Felicity leans over the console to rest her head against his shoulder. “Irv is heartbroken, Oliver. His wife died in an accident he caused and he wasn’t even well enough to go to the funeral. The least we could have done was deliver flowers in his name. I’m just sorry I couldn’t go with you, but this stupid leg was being operated on,” she groans as she taps on her thick white cast.

She's excited to leave the hospital, but she can’t walk on her leg at all, and she will have to undergo intense physical rehabilitation. The jagged scars running up her left calf and thigh from the injury and surgery is the least of her concerns.

“I’d take a few bruises and a broken leg over something much worse,” Oliver reveals, and she knows their minds both drift to Irv.

Felicity remembers the searing pain in the elderly man’s eyes when he found out his beloved wife of over 50 years had died. The hospital was almost at full capacity, so she shared a room with Irv.

Oliver refused to get checked, only sporting cuts and bruises, but stayed with her the entire time. He laid with her in the hospital bed, rocking her back and forth as Irv sobbed behind the privacy curtain, the nurses comforting him.

It could have been her who died. Hell, it almost was.

Now, she brushes her thumb over the yellowing bruise below Oliver’s eye and trails it down to his healing split lip. If Felicity feels grateful for anything though, it is that Oliver barely got hurt. Just the thought of it sends a sharp ache through her chest.

She drops her hand with a sigh.

“I’m just disappointed because I want to work at QC right away, but that won’t be happening for a while.”

Felicity knows work should be the farthest thing from her mind but she can’t help it that her life is on hold. She studied her ass off for her degrees, so now she wants to use them, not cast them aside.

“Your body needs time to heal. The job at QC will always be there,” Oliver promises.

He has a point, but her mind is already figuring out ways she can sneak off to QC. Or maybe she can work from home while she recovers. Either way, Felicity knows she is not _not_ going to work, no matter what her fiance says.

Before they know it, they’ll be carpooling to work together. Felicity is certain of that.

 ~

**One Year Later**

_Trip: 695_

_Destination: Archer Road_

 ~

“I can’t believe we did that,” Felicity giggles as she pulls the gold pins out of her hair. Her soft blonde curls fall past her shoulders as she massages her sore scalp with a moan.

Oliver smiles over at her. “What? Get married? We’ve been planning it for a while.”

Felicity finished physical therapy a little over a month ago and now has full motion of her leg. It was a long and painful process, but Felicity is thrilled to be fully recovered. They planned a small wedding during that time, which led them to this moment. 

She smooths her hands over the soft material of her ivory gown. “I’m Felicity Smoak-Queen now,” she says with pride.

“You are,” he agrees with a laugh as he fiddles with the platinum band on his left ring finger. “Finally,” he adds.

Felicity pulls her phone out of her clutch, tapping on her email app. She scrolls through her inbox, double checking for the confirmation of their rented beach bungalow. 

“Our flight to Bali leaves in a little over two hours, which gives us enough time to get back to the loft, have sex, and go,” Felicity says, glancing at the words “Married Sex” in her itinerary.

She has everything planned for their honeymoon, down to the tiniest details.

Oliver groans and slips his hand between the split of her dress, his warm hand curving over her thigh.

“Have you seen yourself in this dress? I'll need more time to make love with my wife,” he insists.

She pecks him on the cheek and pats him on the shoulder.

“Patience, my love. Patience.”

 ~

**A Year and a Half Later**

_Trip: 1,374_

_Destination: Hospital_

 ~

“Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! I will kill you,” she snaps into the phone.

“Felicity…” Oliver says in warning, rubbing his hand over her lower back as he speeds to the hospital.

She glares at him. “No, Oliver. My doctor told me to to wait at home. ‘You’re not ready yet. It can be hours until you’re fully dilated’ she said! But where am I right now? In the fucking car with a baby trying to tear through me!"

“We never expected such a rapid labor for you, Felicity. Just take deep breaths,” the doctor’s voice echoes through the speakerphone.

She squeezes Oliver’s hand as another contraction slams through her. Felicity is completely unprepared for childbirth. Is anyone ever prepared to push a human being out of their bodies though? They hadn’t planned on getting pregnant so soon into their marriage, but that’s what life had in store for them. They were excited and thrilled to start this new journey together.

A long, agonized moan escapes her lips. Felicity feels the complete opposite of excited right now. Terror? Check. Sadness? Check. Extreme Pain? Check.

A tearing sensation rips through her lower half, and Felicity freezes. It doesn’t feel right to her, so she drops the phone onto Oliver’s lap before reaching under her dress to investigate the intense pressure. She feels around until her hand meets a slimy, rounded mass.  

“Oh my God. I think her head is coming out. Oliver,” she cries in fear, tears spilling down her cheeks.

He stares at her in shock before he turns back to the road.

“Just breathe, Felicity,” he instructs, but the quiver in his voice only upsets her more.

The doctor’s concerned tone sounds through the phone. “How far away are you?”

“Uh, about 10 minutes. We just passed Exit 124,” he stammers.

Felicity feels the car lurch forward as he pushes harder on the gas pedal. On any other day she would yell at him for speeding, but right now she doesn’t care. He can break every traffic law in the state as long as she gives birth in a hospital.

Her whole body hurts, but she’s panting through pain as she hears the doctor address her husband. “Great. Pull over to the side of the road. I’ll be there soon with an ambulance, but you’re delivering your baby today, Mr. Queen.”

Oh no, this isn’t happening. All she wants is a simple, easy birth, with a heavy dosage of drugs, in a hospital. This is so not in her birth plan.

Felicity doesn’t know how Oliver gets from the fast lane all the way to the shoulder, but moments later he is helping her out of the car and into the backseat.

He flips Felicity’s dress up and removes her underwear as they listen to the doctor’s instructions.

“I see her head!” he yells into the phone, and Felicity has to suppress the urge to roll her eyes when the doctor says that’s a good sign.

Felicity flails her hand in the air in search of his until he grabs hold of it.  

“Oliver,” she whimpers, conveying without words how terrified she is before screaming, “God, I have to push! I have to push!”

The doctor’s serious voice floats through the phone. “We’re five minutes away. Felicity, your baby is ready to come out. You need to push hard when I tell you to, alright?”

Oliver’s hand brushes her damp hair away from her face and cups her cheek. “Hey, Felicity. Look at me."

Her eyes land on his, concern but also an emotion akin to awe evident in his blue orbs.

“You'll both be okay. I’m right here, sweetheart. I got you.”

She wipes her wet cheeks, straightens her glasses, and mouths, “I love you.”

He whispers it back, then leans forward to kiss her on her sweaty forehead.

“Oliver? Felicity?” the doctor calls through the phone.

Her hand tenses in his, and the pain increases to an unbearable level, but she manages a smile.

“We’re ready.”

 ~

_Trip: 1,376_

_Destination: Archer Road_

 ~

Felicity rests her head on her hand and lets her eyes fall shut. The past few days have been tough. After giving birth on the side of the road, an ambulance took them to the hospital. Much to her dissatisfaction, they had to stay longer than typical since the unsanitary birth location could affect the baby’s health.

Exhaustion overwhelms her, and she can’t wait until they get home so she can put their daughter to bed and cuddle with her husband.

She opens her eyes to stare at their beautiful, healthy baby girl, tracing the curves of her slender nose and chubby cheeks with her pointer finger before brushing over the sparse light brown tufts on her head.

“You’re perfect, Mella Lane Queen.”

She sits in the back with her, watching her chest rise and fall as she sleeps.

With one more glance at their daughter, Felicity scoots to the edge of the seat and snakes her hand down Oliver’s arm until he removes it from the steering wheel and places it in hers. Oliver rubs his thumb along her knuckles, and she can see the way his cheeks dimple from a smile he can’t contain.

Her eyes take in the road through the windshield, the streetlamps lighting the way for them as they get closer to their home. And so they do what they have always done.

They drive on.

~The End~

**Author's Note:**

> You made it!! Thank you for reading, and please leave a kudos/comment if you enjoyed it! 
> 
> ~Social Media~  
> Twitter: @dianasfelicity  
> Tumblr: @felicityschattycathy


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